US$870,000 Gone With a Signature: The High Cost of Skipping Due Diligence A recent report tells the story of a Harare man who allegedly lost a staggering US$870,000 in a fake land deal after purchasing a stand from someone who apparently had no legal authority to sell it. (Herald Online) At David K Law Group, […]
When Death Interrupts a Property Transfer: What Happens if the Seller Dies Before Transfer is Registered in Zimbabwe? By David K Law Group Attorneys Property transactions are often regarded as straightforward. A buyer and seller conclude an Agreement of Sale, the purchase price is paid, and transfer is eventually registered in the Deeds Registry. However, […]
Zimbabwe’s New Special Capital Gains Tax on Indirect Transfers: A Significant Shift in Property and Corporate Transactions The Zimbabwean tax landscape continues to evolve as Government introduces measures aimed at broadening the tax base and addressing increasingly sophisticated transaction structures. One of the most notable developments is the introduction of the Special Capital Gains Tax […]
When ZIMRA Rejects the Parties’ Purchase Price: Legal Implications, Risk Allocation, and Drafting Solutions In Zimbabwean conveyancing practice, one of the most commercially disruptive and legally contentious issues arises when parties agree on a purchase price (pretium) in an Agreement of Sale, but the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (“ZIMRA”) determines that the property’s market value is […]
Zimbabwe’s property registration system is undergoing one of the biggest reforms in decades following the introduction of Statutory Instrument 76 of 2025, which introduces the validation, securitisation and digitisation of title deeds. The objective is to modernise the Deeds Registry system, reduce fraud, eliminate duplicate deeds, improve efficiency and create a secure digital property database. […]
Social Media Misconceptions About the Digitisation of Title Deeds in Zimbabwe Why Property Owners Should Stay Informed, Not Alarmed Over the past few weeks, social media platforms in Zimbabwe have been flooded with alarming messages, voice notes, forwarded WhatsApp texts, and sensational headlines regarding the digitisation of title deeds. Unfortunately, much of this information has […]
Can You Sell Property in Zimbabwe and Remit the Money Abroad? By David K Chikumba In Zimbabwean property transactions, one question quietly follows many agreements of sale: “Can the seller actually take the money out of Zimbabwe?” The short answer is:Yes . but not automatically. And in typical Zimbabwean fashion, the answer sits somewhere between […]
A Light-Hearted Guide to Investing in Immovable Property in One of Africa’s Most Beautiful Countries By David K Chikumba There is something about Zimbabwe that surprises people. Maybe it is the weather.Maybe it is the scenery.Maybe it is the warmth of the people. Or maybe it is the fact that after visiting once, many foreigners […]
Buying Property in Zimbabwe: 10 Mistakes That Delay Transfers Or, How a “Quick Deal” Sometimes Turns Into a Three-Season Documentary There are few things capable of producing emotional highs and lows in Zimbabwe quite like buying property. One moment you are standing on an empty stand confidently declaring: “This is where the double-storey mansion will […]
The Role of a Conveyancer: More Than Just Paperwork There is a popular belief in Zimbabwe that a conveyancer is simply a person who “stamps papers,” disappears into an office for three weeks, resurfaces with a title deed, and sends an invoice powerful enough to trigger immediate prayer and fasting. Respectfully… that is not entirely […]